1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser apparatus including a plurality of laser modules.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus, that combines laser beams outputted from a plurality of laser modules (laser beam sources) and emits the obtained combined laser beam, is known in the related art (e.g., see JP 2006-012888 A).
Additionally, a technique is known, in a laser machining apparatus including a plurality of laser modules, in which the number of laser modules driven is adjusted on the basis of the output, a spot diameter, etc., of a combined laser beam (e.g., see JP 2012-227353 A and WO 2014/133013).
Individual laser modules have a lower limit with respect to the optical output at which the laser beam can be outputted stably, and thus changing of the number of laser-oscillating laser modules as appropriate is demanded in a laser apparatus including a plurality of laser modules, in order to ensure a broad optical output range. Here, in a case where the number of laser-oscillating laser modules is increased, the supply of power to at least one of the laser modules is started. However, there is a certain delay time to the start of the supply of power, and thus immediately after the number is changed, a phenomenon known as a “notch” occurs, in which the measured value of the combined laser beam drops greatly relative to a command value.